BURMESE Standard of Excellence GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Burmese is a medium sized elegant cat of moderate foreign type, with gently rounded contours, which is characteristic of and quite individual to the breed. Any suggestion of Siamese elongation or the cobbiness of the British cat must be regarded as a fault.

Eyes	Must be set well apart. They should be large and lustrous; the top line of the eye shows a straight oriental slant towards the nose, the lower line being rounded. Either round or oriental eyes are a fault.
Eye Colour	Any shade of yellow from chartreuse to amber, with golden yellow preferred. Green eyes are a serious fault in Brown Burmese, but Blue Burmese may show a slight fading of colour.

Body	Of medium length and size (allowance to be made for larger size in males), feeling hard, compact, muscular and heavier than its appearance indicates. The chest should be strong, and rounded in profile, the back straight from shoulders to rump.
Legs & Paws	Slender and in proportion to the body; hind legs slightly longer than the front; paws neat and oval in shape.
Tail	Straight and of medium length, not heavy at base, and tapering only slightly to a rounded tip without bone defect. A whip tail or visible kink is a fault and not permissible, but an invisible defect at the extreme tip may be overlooked in an otherwise excellent specimen.

Coat	Short, fine, satin-like in texture, lying close to the body. The glossy coat is a distinctive feature of Burmese and is indicative of good health.
Colour	In all colours the underparts of the body will be lighter than the back. In kittens and adolescents, allowances should be made for faint tabby barring and, overall, a lighter colour than adults. The presence of a few white hairs may be overlooked in an otherwise excellent cat, but a noticeable number of white hairs, or a white patch, is a serious fault.
Condition	Well muscled, carrying no fat, lively and alert, with a firm feel when handled. Obesity, paunchiness, weakness, apathy or emaciation is undesirable.

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Allowable Outcrosses: None.

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BLUE (Blue Sepia)

Coat	In maturity, the adult should be a soft silver-grey, only very slightly darker on the back and tail. There should be a distinct silver sheen on rounded areas such as ears, face and feet.
Nose Leather	Very dark grey.
Paw Pads	Pinkish grey.

CHOCOLATE (Chocolate Sepia)

Coat	In maturity the overall colour should be a warm milk chocolate. Ears and mask may be slightly darker, but legs, tail and lower jaw should be the same colour as the back. Evenness of colour overall very desirable.
Nose Leather	Warm chocolate brown.
Paw Pads	Cinnamon pink shading to chocolate.

LILAC (Lilac Sepia)

Coat	In maturity the coat colour should be a pale, delicate dove-grey, with a slightly pinkish cast giving a rather faded effect. Ears and mask may be slightly deeper colour.
Nose Leather	Lavender pink.
Paw Pads	Shell pink in kittens, becoming lavender pink in adults.

RED (Red Sepia)

Coat	In maturity the coat colour should be light tangerine. Slight tabby markings may be found on the face, and small indeterminate markings elsewhere (except o sides and belly) are permissible in an otherwise excellent cat. Ears should be distinctly darker than the back.
Nose Leather	Pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.

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CREAM (Cream Sepia)

Coat	In maturity the coat colour should be soft cream with a distinct bloom which gives a powdery effect. Slight tabby markings may be found on the face, and small indeterminate markings elsewhere (except on the sides and belly) are permissible in an otherwise excellent cat. Ears should be only slightly darker than the back coat colour.
Nose Leather	Pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.

TORTIES

In the case of the four Tortie colours, the coat may display two shades of its basic colours and may thus appear to display three or even four colours. The colours may be mingled or blotched without any obvious barring; blazes, solid legs or tails are all permissible. Type (body conformation) is deemed of more important than distribution of colour.